Cheers
Wurzel ![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
it's a very pictureque part of the world.
5th September, Bookham & Denbies.
Well today’s forecast was decidedly more than iffy. I would have preferred to visit these sites on Sunday with a better forecast but with engineering works on the line I use that decision was out of my hands
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
. So I left under a leaden sky and light drizzle followed me all the way to my first destination.
The forecast had promised slightly brighter weather in the afternoon so I figured a trip to check on my White Admiral cats would occupy my morning. Thankfully the rain had stopped by the time I arrived and I was pleased to find all 4 cats still doing well and 3 of them are still in feeding mode with no sign of hibernaculum construction.
Shifty/Sid seemed to be having a bath:
Cyril is about halfway through his current leaf:
And Lofty is rapidly running out of leaf to eat:
Brian II on the other hand has definitely entered the big sleep and hasn’t moved from where he was on my last visit. He’s still trying to tuck himself into the stump of his last feeding leaf, which he has attached to the shoot with silk. Despite his bum sticking out he is very well camouflaged and had I not known about his whereabouts I’m pretty sure I would not have found him. It will be a very sharp eyed bird that finds him!
![IMG_5625 - Copy.JPG (67.78 KiB) Viewed 4129 times Closeup of silkwork at the join of leaf and stem](./files/thumb_13753_3f22a9baa5929c9afee4e936a9e63e09)
- Closeup of silkwork at the join of leaf and stem
So with the weather still looking not so good I decided to wander the woods to see how many other WA cats I could find. Two hours of searching and I only found 1 more, loads have probably ended up feeding all the Tits that are a constant presence but here's the newbie, Stan, sitting about 6 feet of the ground, clearly third instar and looking like he’s on at least his second leaf.
Whilst searching for WA cats I did come across an immobile Dragonfly, a beautiful female Southern Hawker
A slightly less beautiful pile of Caddis fly eggs
And this little blood thirsty bugger
![Evil or Very Mad :evil:](./images/smilies/icon_evil.gif)
, he never had the chance to tap into an artery
![Twisted Evil :twisted:](./images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif)
!
Two hours later I was at Denbies and remarkably the forecast was right, although still cloudy it was much brighter, good Blue hunting weather.
I was after Adonis but there was still quite a few Chalkhills making things tricky
![IMG_5664.JPG (852.89 KiB) Viewed 4129 times male Chalkhill](./files/thumb_13753_2d5ffc799c573f4b7037c772dda79738)
- male Chalkhill
![IMG_5666.JPG (797.32 KiB) Viewed 4129 times female Chalkhill](./files/thumb_13753_10e69305c3eb98adb049d4d0fd633dd6)
- female Chalkhill
![IMG_5670.JPG (1.21 MiB) Viewed 4129 times male Chalkhill ab.](./files/thumb_13753_8ecc57ce0e1977d1c4819bce3ecd54be)
- male Chalkhill ab.
![IMG_5674.JPG (947.05 KiB) Viewed 4129 times male Adonis](./files/thumb_13753_e6051cd0c97554b77083f418ceaf8523)
- male Adonis
In fact, judging by this good looking chap, Chalkhills are still emerging!
I was after some Adonis females and after much searching I managed to find my first confirmed female of the year.
'Edit' first second gen female of the year!
And then my second, having a small party with a couple of Chalkhill ladies, one of whom had an unusual wing deformity.
In the end I had the hillside to myself for nearly two hours and found a few more Adonis and lots more Chalkhills.
![IMG_5748.JPG (750.13 KiB) Viewed 4129 times female Adonis](./files/thumb_13753_62d6a66ba5b51e37e69532db21a97bbc)
- female Adonis
![IMG_5755.JPG (834.51 KiB) Viewed 4129 times male Chalkhill](./files/thumb_13753_7a670e33f675b48e13cd9ee87f354bcb)
- male Chalkhill
![IMG_5756.JPG (1.9 MiB) Viewed 4129 times female Chalkhill](./files/thumb_13753_f642f455821a435c9674513ff5b6d5a6)
- female Chalkhill
All the while being carefully observed by the local habitat management crew.
It was while I was keeping a close eye on them as dog walkers passed by, hoping I didn’t get caught in the middle of a spooked stampede, that I nearly missed a familiar face,
Susie was taking her dog for a walk. Nice to catch up with you again Susie, I very nearly walked straight passed you, I was in my own little world
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)